Thursday

By Nathaniel Whalen
Staff writer
Gavin Floyd is ready to give relieving a second chance.

It didn’t work out well the first time, while he was in Philadelphia, but the White Sox pitcher has been told by the coaching staff he will be put in the bullpen.

Floyd’s ready to “show what I have.”

“They haven’t told me the specifics, but they said bullpen,” said Floyd, who was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to start the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Detroit.

“It’s an opportunity to play up here and get things right, show what I have. I don’t think I’ve shown anybody. ... I just have to do it for myself and let it happen that way.”

Manager Ozzie Guillen said the Sox are still figuring out what to do with Floyd.

“We’re going to see a few more days. We asked (general manager Ken Williams) about it. Keep him here for a couple of more days, then we make the decision,” Guillen said.

Floyd has a 9.58 ERA in two big-league starts this year, including allowing seven runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings Tuesday.

The biggest difference between those outings and his International League All-Star form, Floyd said, is his emotions.

“Just getting comfortable with the atmosphere, I think,” said Floyd, who was 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA for Charlotte. “It’s a little bit more intense (in the majors), just letting the emotions get ahead of you.

“I just need to control it. It’s small, but huge.”

Floyd, who came over in the offseason trade that sent Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia, had an 11.57 ERA in 11 2/3 relief innings with the Phillies in 2004 and ’05.

“I wasn’t comfortable, first of all, because I wasn’t ready mentally and physically as far as confidence in myself. I’m completely different now,” Floyd said.

Leading off

Even without Jerry Owens in the lineup — the left-handed-hitting rookie didn’t start against Tigers left-hander Kenny Rogers — Scott Podsednik batted seventh Wednesday. It’s unlikely Podsednik will lead off again anytime soon.

“ ‘Pods’ was our leadoff guy for three years, and we know that,” Guillen said. “But in the meanwhile, when you miss almost a year and you have somebody playing good, then you have to earn the spot back.”

Podsednik came back Tuesday from a rehab stint (he had a strained rib cage) and says he’s feeling “pretty good” and is fine hitting seventh in the order.

“I’ll provide some great protection for Jermaine (Dye),” Podsednik joked of the regular No. 6 batter.

Hit the spot

Toby Hall was knocked out of Tuesday’s nightcap when Magglio Ordonez hit him in the neck on a backswing during the sixth inning.

“I didn’t even know we won that game,” said Hall, who suffered a mild concussion but started Wednesday night. “All I remember is one of the questions they asked me earlier was do I remember the score. I said, ‘No.’ I knew we weren’t winning. We were losing by a lot.”

Speaking of ...

The Sox came back from a 7-1 deficit Tuesday night to win 8-7, marking the first time since April 28, 2004, they’ve erased a six-run deficit or more.

The go-ahead run came across in the eighth, when Hall’s replacement, A.J. Pierzynski, hit a soft liner to short that bounced off Carlos Guillen’s glove into center field. It was originally ruled an error, but changed to an RBI hit.

“He was kind of in between catching it, trying to catch it in the air and coming to get it and it took a hop,” Pierzynski said. “I don’t think he was expecting that.”

More Sox coverage can be found online at www.dailysouthtown.com/sports

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